Color

Artwork & Mechanical Requirements

Electronic ad submissions as press-ready PDF files are preferred (see below*). Negatives, velox prints or camera-ready art are accepted if sent in advance of the materials deadline. The publisher is not responsible for returning artwork unless instructions to do so are furnished with the order. See the display rates section of this kit for exact display ad measurements.

If you are not using an ad agency or design firm to produce your ad, you may inquire about advertising setup by the Virginia State Bar Publications Department.

The magazine is printed on web presses and has saddlestitch binding.
Bleeds are accepted. Bleed size is 1/8 inch in addition to the trim.
Negatives must be exact (right reading emulsion down).
Halftones/line screens must be 133 screen or better.

*Electronic File Requirements

Press-ready PDF and EPS files under 8 MB are accepted on disc or by e-mail. We do not accept compressed files. Please contact us if your file is over 8 MB.

A paper proof should be sent for verification. Color proofs are required for all four-color ads. Quality cannot be assured if directions for creating PDF files from our printer are not followed. Please download instructions.

When an advertiser sends a PDF file, it should be considered final. It is in the best interest of the advertiser to submit a file that does not need to be altered. It is crucial that all elements be BLACK only if the ad is to be a black-and-white ad (no RGB, no CMYK, no PANTONE, etc.). All images and logos should be high-resolution and True Type fonts should not be used.

The optimum resolution is 266 ppi (2 x 133 = 266). The maximum resolution is 400 ppi (3 x 133 = 399). Low-resolution images will look fuzzy or pixelated. Images with excessive resolution can look muddy. Line art must have a much higher resolution than continuous tone-type subjects. The rule-of-thumb for line art scans is that the resolution should be no less than 600 ppi, optimally should be 1200 ppi, and should not exceed 2400 ppi.

Virginia Lawyer page layout is done in QuarkXPress 9 for Mac. InDesign users should prepare PDF files using Acrobat Distiller to the printer's specifications. Do not use InDesign’s built-in PDF maker. Flatten all layers before exporting to PDF. You may select all type, convert to outline, and save as an EPS.